In the snow removal industry it is common practice to use a plow mounted to the front of a snow removal vehicle. The plow mounted to the front of the vehicle may be raised or lowered in relation to the traveled surface. When the plow is in the lowered position it is driven along by the vehicle; thereby pushing snow to one side or the other, depending on the operators' manipulation of the angle of the plow relative to the travel direction.
Side mounted wing plows to supplement the front plow are also well known to the snow removal industry. A side wing plow is generally used when extra width of the plowing swath is desired and the perceived risks involved in the employment of a side wing plow do not exceed the benefits. Typically the side wing is mounted to the side of a moving vehicle (tractor, truck, loader or grader). Side wing plows typically include a portion referred to as a side wing plow moldboard, which is a curved metal blade used for pushing snow.
With a typical side wing plow, an operator can manipulate the side wing plow moldboard up or down relative to the surface to be plowed, as well as angle the side wing plow moldboard relative to the direction of travel. When an operator configures the side wing plow to its plowing position, and the vehicle to which the side wing plow is attached is generally moving forward, snow is discharged down the length of, and past the end of the side wing plow moldboard, thereby creating a cleared path parallel to the direction of travel of the vehicle. Accordingly, by utilizing the side wing plow, the operator can increase the width of cleared snow (i.e., the swath width) beyond that which a front plow is capable of clearing alone. This extra swath width is beneficial because it increases the amount of cleared snow and pavement in a given pass, thereby increasing productivity and reducing the overall cost of the snow removal process.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,096,652, and entitled “Retractable Snowplow Wing and Mounting Therefor” discloses a side wing plow mounted to one side of a vehicle. However, side wing plows such as this are limited to use on only one side of the vehicle, thereby limiting the operator efficiency. To accommodate for special circumstances where a side wing plow mounted to the opposite side of the vehicle is needed, oftentimes there is a one vehicle with an opposite mounted wing plow within the fleet of plows. Furthermore, when this type of side wing is in a transport, or upright position, the side wing plow greatly increases the overall width of the vehicle, thereby increasing the risk of accident.
Another demonstration of prior art can be seen in U.S. Pat. No. 3,241,254, entitled “Snow Wing for Motor Graders”. This again shows a side wing plow mounted to the side of a vehicle. Neither of these inventions allow for the immediate change of discharge of snow from one side of the vehicle to the other.
In accordance with the prior art, to accomplish snow discharge on either side of the vehicle, one would currently need to mount a large and cumbersome plowing apparatus on the rear of a vehicle; such a device is taught in U.S. Pat. No. 3,908,289, entitled “Swing-Over Snow Wing”. This device, however, is extremely large and complex, and requires a great deal of thought and manipulation by the operator to function properly. This device further causes a significant decrease in operator visibility when the wing plow is in the transport position, thereby adding an unnecessary safety risk.
Another possible solution is taught in U.S. Pat. No. 7,367,407, entitled “Towed Snowplow and Method of Plowing.” This device however, requires the plow to be trailered, thereby greatly reducing maneuverability. Accordingly, this device is not meant for use within cities where frequent backing up, or travel in reverse, may be necessary.
Collectively the prior art devices add immense weight, expense and complication to the efforts of snow removal. Moreover, because of their complexity and bulk, they decrease the operators' focus, comfort and, most importantly, public safety.
Accordingly, there is a need in the snow removal industry for a wing plow that has a moldboard that can easily be moved from one side of the vehicle to the other, thereby allowing an increased swath width on either side of the vehicle without significantly adding to the weight, expense and complication of snow removal.
Additionally, there is a need in the snow removal industry for a wing plow with a moldboard that can be transported while maximizing the visibility of the operator to improve safety.